Apple supplier Foxconn changes job rules: removes marriage, age and gender columns; Previously married women were not recruited

Apple supplier Foxconn has directed its recruitment agents in India to stop using age, gender and marital status criteria in job advertisements for iPhone assembly workers. This information was obtained from a report of Reuters.

The company has taken this decision after an investigation by Reuters. The investigation found that Foxconn's Indian recruiters did not hire married women for jobs at its men's factory in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai.

Foxconn relies on third-party hiring agencies for recruitment Foxconn relies on third-party hiring agencies to recruit assembly-line workers. These agencies scout and screen candidates before final interviews and hiring at Foxconn.

The recruitment agencies said in the advertisement that only unmarried women should apply Earlier many job advertisements of these recruitment agencies said that only unmarried women can apply. This is a violation of anti-discrimination policies supported by both Foxconn and Apple.

Recruitment agents removed restrictions on age, gender and marital status from job advertisements After the discrimination came to light in June, Foxconn instructed its recruiting agents to prepare job ads according to company-approved templates. Restrictions on age, gender, and marital status were removed in these samples.

Apart from this, Foxconn's name was also removed from the job posting. Foxconn also warned recruitment agents not to talk to the media and threatened to cancel contracts for non-compliance.

Now the company is offering job benefits like air-conditioned workplace and free transport According to Reuters, many updated advertisements now list job benefits such as air-conditioned workplaces, free transport and hostel facilities without mentioning discriminatory criteria. An advertisement by a recruitment agency offered a monthly salary of ₹14,974 (about $177) for smartphone assembly roles, although no personal qualifications were sought.

During a visit to Sriperumbudur in October, Reuters claimed to have found nine such ads on WhatsApp posted in local areas. Although Foxconn was not named directly in the ad, recruiting agents confirmed that the jobs were for one of the company's assembly plants.

There is no statement from Foxconn and Apple in this matter yet However, no statement has come from Foxconn and Apple in this matter yet. Both companies have previously said that Foxconn employs married women in India.

Foxconn has strictly followed improved recruitment practices. “Foxconn advertises to us for recruitment,” a manager at Prudel, one of Foxconn's recruitment agencies, told Reuters. “We just use it.”